Wednesday, November 14, 2018

David
was chosen by God because “he was a man
after God’s own heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7; Acts 13:22Our all-knowing God knew David when he
was a mere substance in the earth. God knew David's end from his beginning. David knew this about God. He wrote about this in Psalm 139:15-16. “My frame was not hidden
from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the
depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.” In the beginning, God
shaped and formed the first man out of the dust of the earth. We are all made
of the same substance of the earth -- water and dirt. We have to be reformed spiritually from the Second and Last
Adam – Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit and Word.

Know God and His Heart

David wanted
to truly know God. God knew this about David. He knew that David would draw
from the well of His Anointed Word, heart and character. And because of this,
God revealed things to David knowing David would understand His revelation
knowledge and do it.

God knew
David’s heart, and David was learning about God’s heart. Theirs was a deep and
abiding relationship. God would reshape and mold David’s heart so it reflected His
heart. David was willing. God begins with a willing heart. God cannot force His
revelation knowledge into an unwilling heart.

Become the Man or Woman
God Intends You to be.

David’s desire
was to become the person God intended him to be. David said in Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and
know my heart, test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in
me and lead me to the way everlasting.” David didn’t want any sin in him to
displease God. He was willing to have God test him in His work of
sanctification within him. In Paul’s
letter to the Colossians, he and others had prayed unceasingly that God would
fill Timothy “with the knowledge of his
will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order
that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way:
bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being
strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may
have the great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the
Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the
kingdom of light.” Colossians 1:9-12 David understood this long before
Jesus came into the world. Timothy understood this too. To live in a manner worthy
of the Lord, we must be willing to allow God to teach us by the power of the
Word of truth, the Holy Spirit of truth, and anointed men and women of God.
Then we are to do the truth revealed. We must, of course, seek affirmation that
what is taught is the truth. The Holy Spirit – the Spirit of truth – will help
you in this.

Use the Revelation
Knowledge God Has Given You

Along the
journey of his transformation, David relied upon what he already had been shown
and knew of God. This, of course, is what followers of Christ are to do. Our
journey with God is a progressive and a never-ending one. Knowing God and
pleasing Him was David’s greatest desire and should be every believer’s desire.
When God revealed Jesus as His Beloved Son, He said He was “well-pleased” with Jesus. Why? Because Jesus only did what the
Father told Him to do and spoke only what God told Him to speak. His heart and
life belonged to God. Jesus wanted to bring glory to God in everything He did
and said. This should be every believer’s heart’s desire also.

David Instructs His Son
Solomon

When David was
about to turn the kingship over to his son Solomon, he told Solomon to “know” David’s God and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for
the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts.
If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will
reject you forever.” 1 Chronicles 28:9Jesus said that those who seek Him will also find Him. Solomon built the earthly temple
of God according to the instructions given him by his father David who received
the instructions from the Heavenly Father. David supplied his son Solomon with
everything he needed to build a house for God. David shared the plans given him by God for Solomon to use in building God's temple on earth. David also gave Solomon the wisdom, location, land, money, materials, workers and the temple
servants to run it. Jesus too has everything He needs given by the Father to
build God’s eternal, spiritual temple in the hearts of those who love and follow
His Son. Jesus will not use human wisdom but will use the wisdom of God in His Word and the power of the Holy
Spirit. Like Jesus, those who love and serve Jesus are to use His powerful Word and Holy Spirit to build His temple in the hearts of others.

Jesus always
takes the external internal. As it was all about David’s heart with God, it is
all about our hearts with Jesus. David
told Solomon, “The Lord has chosen you
to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong and do it.” God would not let
David build His House because he was a warrior and had blood on his hands. His
son Solomon, the King of peace, will build the earthly, temporary temple until
Jesus the eternal King of Peace comes to build God’s eternal temple in the
hearts of those who love and serve Him. Jesus came as the King of peace the first time. He will come as the Mighty Warrior the next time. David and Solomon, his son, are a type
and shadow of God and Jesus, the King of Peace and Mighty Warrior, building His spiritual temple
on earth as it is in heaven in the hearts of those who love and follow His
Chosen and Precious Son Jesus. Jesus too has given us all we need to build His
temple in the hearts of mankind. He gave us the power of His Word and His Spirit so we can carry out the will of God in our lives. We are His servants.

Monday, November 5, 2018

Saul was on a
mission for his father. He was searching for his father’s donkeys who were lost
but he couldn’t find them. Saul wanted to give up but the servant with him told
Saul about Samuel, the man of God who “who
is highly respected and everything he says comes true. Let’s go there now.
Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.” Samuel 9:6 This servant
obviously had at least heard of Samuel! Saul didn’t know of Samuel who had been
ruling over God’s people for years. When Saul came face to face with Samuel, he asked where the seer's house was. (see 1 Samuel 19:18) The Seer was Samuel and Saul was talking to him. So, this pretty much tells you how religious Saul had been, and yet God's people wanted him to be king over them.

God is Orchestrating

God is
secretly working through this servant to bring Saul before Samuel to make him
king as God’s people had insisted. If Saul had turned back, he would have
missed his destiny. Our omnipotent God will see to it that the people have
their way. God knew that His people would learn some lessons from their choice.

Saul’s servant
was a wise man! He knew that everything Samuel said came true because Samuel was
a true prophet of God. The servant trusted that Samuel, the man of God, could
show them the way to the lost. Samuel did even better, he assured Saul and his
servant that the donkeys had already been found. Samuel will also give Saul and
his servant other signs that should assure them that God is with them.

Saul and his
servant met women going out to draw water who led them to Samuel, the man of
God. Again God is in control. When Saul and his servant entered the town, Samuel was coming toward them
on his way up to the “high place” where he would offer a sacrifice to God. The
day before, God had told Samuel that Saul was coming and that he should anoint
him king over God’s people. Samuel didn’t have to do anything but wait upon
God. When Saul appeared, God said to Samuel, “This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern My people.”1
Samuel 10:17 This is God’s permissive will.

God is orchestrating all of this. He will give the people their wish even though it is not God’s sovereign will. His sovereign will was David. God does not force His will upon us.

Samuel knew
God’s voice. God began speaking to Samuel when he was just a young boy.Samuel's mother had dedicated him to the Lord right after his birth. He was raised in the Temple of God by the high priest and priests.

Trials and Tests

God will allow His people their
choice of king, but He also warned them through His prophet Samuel what their
choice of king would do to them. Unfortunately, they will suffer much at the
hands of Saul and have many loses because of their insistence that he become
their king. All this could have been avoided had God’s people waited upon Him.

Saul ruled for
40 years. 40 is the number of trials and tests -- tribulation. God’s people
will be tested and tried under the leadership of Saul. When Saul turned away
from God, God’s people suffered greatly. Saul tried to kill David many times because
he was jealous and envious of David. Unfortunately, Saul’s spirit and actions spiraled
downward.

You know, the
devil was once a perfect archangel in the heavenly throne room of God. His downfall
came when pride entered him, and he decided to disobey God and wanted to be
God. God is speaking to the devil in the king of Tyre in Ezekiel 28. The devil will meet his end when he and his followers
are thrown into the deepest part of the earth. Does God delight in this? Absolutely
not! He says in Ezekiel 28:ll, we
are to lament (mourn and grieve) his
fall. The devil began perfect in every
way in God’s holy throne room. What God creates is holy and perfect. It was the
devil’s choices that had him thrown out of heaven. God hates to see any of his
creatures cast away from Him. Jesus is always calling us up higher with Him,
but the devil calls you to the deepest part of the earth – lower and lower. He wants you to join him in his misery, but Jesus wants to bless you and take you higher and higher with Him. He can't do this using sin and the devil's ways.

God’s Chosen Kings and
Leaders

The kings of
Israel led by God were not to dominate and oppress God’s people. They were
called to guide and protect God’s people like a shepherd and servant. Jesus is
the Perfect Shepherd/Servant King over God’s people. “He came not to be served, but to serve, and give His life a ransom for
many.” Mark 10:45 He is the example that leaders should follow when in
offices of power, especially if they profess to be a Christian – follower of
Jesus. Jesus did not come through the line of Saul, but through the line of David,
God’s choice for king. Those of us who love and serve Jesus must also be
careful who we choose to rule over us. They should have the heart and character
of God, not tyrants who use their power to belittle and suppress or for their
own selfish will and gains. It is God’s heart desire to bless His people. He
cannot do so with the wrong leader in charge of them. God does not bless sin
and ungodly ways. An ungodly leader not controlled by God will lead His people
downward because only godliness will lead us upward. Jesus is always calling us
to go higher with Him into His holy realm – not down further and further into
the belly of the earth to the devil’s realm. God loves us and knows what is
right for us. It is His ways and will that are the best for us.

Sunday, October 28, 2018

The portion of
scripture regarding David and Saul teaches us that there was a vast spiritual
difference between these two leaders, some of which are pointed out in this teaching.

Ungodly Saul

The fact that Saul
had not heard of Samuel, who had ruled God’s people for years, indicates that
he must have lived outside religious circles and was not concerned with Godly things. This fact would stop God from
choosing him to rule over His people. Saul was worldly and probably didn’t
respect and appreciate God’s spiritual laws. Even though Saul wasn’t God’s
choice, He will give the Israelites their way. Saul was allowed to serve as
king over God’s people until he took his own life. Once God has decreed a thing, He doesn’t go
back on His word. God had anointed Saul
to be king at the request of the people and anointed him with the Holy Spirit. His death would be the only way Saul
will no longer be king.

Godly David

David on the
other hand had a passion and hunger for God. He lived a life of prayer, worship
and spiritual intimacy with God -- although not without sin. David’s desire was to
please God and serve others. Even though Samuel had told David that God had
chosen him to be king over Israel, David served king Saul for many years and
never mentioned to Saul that God had chosen him. David knew that God would appoint the time.
David was a God-pleaser, not a people-pleaser like Saul. David encouraged others
to be the same. David sought God’s face and counsel and depended upon Him. He
understood that God was the real King of Israel and he was only His
representative. David was also loyal and inspired loyalty in others.

Preparation

Saul was not
prepared by God to be king, but David was. David was chosen and anointed to be
king at the age of 17 but didn’t take the throne until the age of 30. 30 in
scripture is the number of maturity. In between David’s three anointings,God
is preparing David and testing him so he will know God and be a faithful, good
leader over God’s beloved people. Samuel had warned Saul that Israel belonged
to the Lord. They were His inheritance. Saul was to lead and care for them as
God would. He failed. Saul allowed his flesh to get in the way of his Godly duty.

Unmerited Favor

Saul started
with God’s unmerited favor but fell out of God’s favor through disobedience to
God, His will and ways. Saul slowly and steadily withdrew from God’s ways. Eventually,
Saul turned away from following the Lord completely and never returned to Him. 1 Samuel 15:10 -11: Then the word of the
Lord came to Samuel: “I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has
turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” Saul’s seed
would have reigned forever had he not blatantly disobeyed God’s instruction.
Because Saul had rejected the Word of the Lord, the Lord rejected Saul. Then
Samuel, the prophet, priest and king anointed of God, told Saul that the Lord “has torn the kingdom of Israel from you
today and has given it to one of your neighbors – one better than you.” 1
Samuel 15:28That neighbor was
David.

God’s Equipping

In the
beginning of Saul’s reign, he had the same things David had to rule. Saul and
David were both anointed with the Holy Spirit. David’s anointing was greater
however. Saul was anointed with a flask of oil (small amount) but David was anointed with a horn of oil (greater amount). Both David and Saul
were supported by godly Samuel who shared God’s Word and counsel with them.
Both were given gifts of royalty. Both were supported by the majority of God’s
people. Both were surrounded by mighty warriors. Despite this, Saul chose his
own way. David chose God's way. The result: Saul’s
leadership was a failed one; David’s was a successful one despite his faults.Christ inherited the right to David’s throne
fulfilling Isaiah 9:6-7. David’s
kingdom was eternal in Christ. Revelation
22:16: “I am the root and offspring of David.” Jesus is David’s Creator (root) as well as His offspring – heir of David.

The Declination of Sin

Saul
spent a substantial amount of his kingship trying to kill David because of
jealousy, resentment and anger. To flee Saul’s wrath, David hid in caves and
fled to another country. David had three opportunities to kill Saul but wouldn’t
touch God’s anointed one. David trusted that God was in control, so he would
wait upon God. The very one that God had chosen to restore God’s blessing to
His people, Saul wanted to destroy.

David turned
from his sin and followed the Lord, but Saul made excuses and blamed others. Saul
didn’t trust God, nor did he seek God’s counsel. Eventually, God’s people will
see that Saul was devoid of the godly qualities and character needed to lead
them. Saul had the same opportunity as David to confess and repent of his sins
and didn’t. David‘s confession and repentance set him free and gave him God’s
forgiveness. David was also worried that the Lord would take His Spirit from
him like He did to Saul, so David asked the Lord in Psalm 51:11 “Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit
from me.” Psalm 51 is the depth of David’s sorrow over His sin of adultery
and murder.

David said in Psalm 16:2, “You are My Lord; I have no
good apart from you.” David understood that without the Lord, he could do
nothing. Jesus said in John 5:19, “the
Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He
does, the Son does in like manner.” Again,
Jesus said in John 5:30, Jesus said,
“I can of Myself do nothing.” Why
did Jesus say these things? Jesus and the Father are One. They never contradict
each other and walk together in perfect harmony and agreement. In His flesh body,
Jesus did nothing apart from God. Jesus also said that “apart from Him you can do nothing.” John 15:5 Followers of Christ
are to do what the Son did in harmony and agreement according to God's will.